Minato Ward × Jinseki-Kogen Town Launch Co-Creation Project to Build New Ventures from Authentic Local Themes

Spoon Inc. is launching the 'Minato Ward × Jinseki-Kogen Town Co-Creation DAO,' a collaborative project that brings together urban specialists and local talent to co-create new ventures, starting from challenges and aspirations directly raised by local businesses and residents in Jinseki-Kogen Town. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Jinseki-Kogen Town and the Minato City Industrial Promotion Center, among other stakeholders.

This project is not about urban areas unilaterally supporting rural regions. Instead, it combines the specialized expertise found in Minato Ward—such as planning, AI/IT, design, PR, video production, marketing, and business development—with Jinseki-Kogen’s on-the-ground knowledge, regional resources, industries, and human networks to co-develop ventures that truly meet local needs.

Spoon Inc., in partnership with Jinseki-Kogen Town and the Minato City Industrial Promotion Center, will oversee the overall planning, coordination, and management of the project. As the first step, a kickoff event will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the Minato City Industrial Promotion Center.

Minato Ward × Jinseki-Kogen Town Co-Creation DAO Kickoff Event Flyer

B A C K G R O U N D

Finding not just 'problems,' but seeds for future ventures

Rural areas do not only face issues that are neatly defined as business challenges. They also carry personal aspirations, long-standing traditions, overlooked everyday landscapes, and small daily struggles. Jinseki-Kogen Town believes that within these authentic local voices lie the seeds for ventures that can shape the future.

Rather than bringing in pre-packaged solutions from the outside, this project will engage in dialogue with local businesses and residents and conduct on-site experiences to identify themes that are truly needed by the community, and collaboratively explore viable business models.

LO C A L T H E M E S

Co-creation themes from Jinseki-Kogen Town, rooted in local realities

Newspaper Delivery Network

Preserving a 'lifeline infrastructure' for the future

The daily newspaper delivery service that reaches mountainous villages supports around 600 households, helps detect changes in the community, and prevents social isolation. We will explore how this 'delivery power' can evolve into next-generation local infrastructure that supports monitoring and daily life.

Vacant House Utilization

Creating regional circulation from vacant homes

Rather than treating vacant houses merely as renovation targets, we see them as gateways to reconnect people, jobs, and lifestyles. Starting with cleaning and DIY activities and community engagement, we aim to link these spaces to part-time employment, corporate training programs, relocation initiatives, and sustained relational population growth.

Miso Brewery On-Site Improvement

Restoring time for craftsmanship in miso production

Small-scale miso breweries face challenges in processing handwritten fax orders and managing inventory without disrupting existing team dynamics. Together with urban professionals, we will explore digital tools tailored to the actual on-site workflow.

Food, Culture, and Local Products

Passing down locally rooted food and culture to the next generation

We aim to preserve and pass on local industries such as native konjac yam, sake brewery culture, and regional products through educational tours, video content, social media, leaflets, and the development of new products and experiences.

Turning local voices into co-created ventures

Diagram of the Minato Ward × Jinseki-Kogen Town Co-Creation DAO. Starting from voices raised in the field, urban and local talents form units, engaging in dialogue, on-site fieldwork, and pilot testing to grow ideas into meaningful local ventures.

P A R T I C I P A T I O N

Beyond relocation or one-off support: a new way to co-create ventures with rural communities

This project does not require relocation. It welcomes urban professionals who want to contribute while continuing their city-based jobs, freelancers seeking new practical fields, corporate employees involved in new business development or regional collaboration, and those interested in future dual-residence lifestyles or rural careers. Participants can contribute their skills.

Participants bring expertise in planning, AI/IT, design, PR, video, marketing, and business development to refine co-creation themes alongside local businesses and residents. For themes requiring on-site engagement, participants will deepen their understanding through dialogue and fieldwork, uncovering insights that cannot be gained from desk research alone.

A C T I V I T Y R E C O R D

Connecting participation records to future co-creation and career opportunities

Participants’ dialogues, proposals, on-site practices, and venture development processes will be recorded and visualized as co-creation achievements.

This transforms participation from mere event attendance into a human capital asset—documenting who participated in which theme and how, with what actions and expertise—and linking it to future co-creation units, projects, and business opportunities.

The quest-based participation and activity management system will launch gradually from the end of August 2026, with activity records linked to SBTs (Soulbound Tokens) as proof of contribution.

Kickoff event to be held on July 28 at the Minato City Industrial Promotion Center

The kickoff event will introduce the co-creation themes submitted by local businesses and residents of Jinseki-Kogen Town and explain the participation process, on-site fieldwork, and how theme-based units will be formed.

Event Name: Minato Ward × Jinseki-Kogen Town Co-Creation DAO Kickoff 2026

Date and Time: Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 12:30 registration / 13:00–16:00 program / 16:00–17:00 networking

Venue: Minato City Industrial Promotion Center (Minato Ward, Tokyo)

Admission: Free

Participation Method: In-person attendance

Registration and Details: https://minato-sansin.com/events/260728_kyosodao/

Special Website: https://minato-citydao.jp/jinseki-kogen/

Comment

Spoon Inc.

Local challenges are not only those visible from the outside, but also lie in the unspoken feelings and daily lives of people living and working in the region. Rather than bringing in ready-made solutions, we aim to collaborate with the people of Jinseki-Kogen Town, combining urban expertise and perspectives to co-create ventures that are truly needed by the community.

Daigo Kawamoto, Representative Director, Spoon Inc.